Edmonton Oilers star forward Connor McDavid was unhappy with being driven into the net in the opening period of Thursday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks and called the play dangerous.
The incident occurred midway through the first when he rushed the net from the right side and was knocked into the far post by Ducks defenceman Drew Helleson.
“Obviously it’s a play that is a little sensitive to me. Those are plays that I’ve been really really hurt on before, you know? Going into the end wall, going into the net. Those type of plays I find to be dangerous and obviously I didn’t love it,” McDavid told reporters after the game.
“When you’re going Mach 1 into the end wall or into the net, you know, those are dangerous plays in my opinion, and a situation that I find myself a lot in.”
McDavid stayed down for a moment and after collecting himself, skated toward Helleson and had words for the Ducks defenceman. Winger Vasily Podkolzin jumped in and fought Helleson shortly after, landing a few hard right hands before officials broke things up. He was then assessed the only five-minute major of the fight and ejected from the game, a call McDavid was far from fond of.
“I thought [Podkolzin] stepped in there. It was unfortunate too. I’ve never seen that called before so, it was unfortunate there for sure. But I appreciate the response obviously,” he said of his teammate.
McDavid also alluded to a similar play from 2019 when he was driven into the net by then-Calgary Flames defenceman Mark Giordano and suffered a knee injury in the last game of the season, forcing him to spend much of the summer rehabbing.
He said Thursday plays like that hit “close to home” for him.
“I wish that we treated the net like we treat the end wall, you know? If I do that to him, go Mach 1 into the end wall it’s a five-game suspension and everything like that. The net is just as dangerous in my opinion. With the goalie there, the post there, it’s just as dangerous.”
He also defended his initial reaction toward Helleson.
“I think people have me pegged as some type of robot, but I’ve got feelings and emotions too and when that comes out, it can rile a game up. And obviously I appreciated the response from Podzy. As I said, I thought it was an unfortunate call. Didn’t like the call really one bit. It is what it is,” he said.
McDavid briefly departed the Oilers’ bench, but returned and played 24:25, collecting a goal and three assists in Edmonton’s narrow 5-4 loss.
McDavid extended his point streak to 17 games in the defeat and also upped his point total on the season to 40 in just 16 games.